RCC’s statement on today’s plastics ban by the federal government

Retail Council of Canada (RCC) has been engaged in discussions for some time with the federal Minister of the Environment and his provincial and territorial counterparts on the elimination of problem plastics and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs.  Working closely with our retailers, consumer packaged goods manufacturers and others, we have stressed the importance of harmonization – consistent national targets, standards and regulation.

Relating to costs, and of concern to retailers, is the lack of harmonized regulations regarding bans.  In some cases, the scope of municipal ban by-laws may go beyond the federally banned items.  If these municipal bans remain in effect and others emerge, it will defeat the goal of working towards a national target, operational efficiencies and may well create confusion among Canadians.

RCC and indeed the many stakeholders in the plastics and packaging value chain look forward to working with governments to meet and exceed our Canadian targets.  That can only be done if we are all working together with an agreed set of national standards and targets.

While we understand regional differences, our goal is to work closely with all levels of government to find common ground and leverage the work we are all doing to benefit all Canadians.

For more information or to schedule media interviews, contact:
Michelle Wasylyshen
mwasylyshen@retailcouncil.org

About Retail Council of Canada

Retail is Canada’s largest employer with 2.1 million Canadians working in our industry. The sector annually generates over $76 billion in wages and employee benefits. Core retail sales (excluding vehicles and gasoline) were $377 billion in 2018. Retail Council of Canada (RCC) members represent more than two thirds of retail sales in the country. RCC is a not-for-profit, industry-funded association that represents small, medium and large retail businesses in every community across the country. As the Voice of Retail™ in Canada, we proudly represent more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats, including department, grocery, specialty, discount, independent retailers and online merchants. www.RetailCouncil.org